Pressure carburetor



July 20, 1943. c. F. SCHORN 2;3?4,599

I PRESSURE CARBURETOR Filed Jan. 12, 1942 iNVENTQR ATTORNEY Patented July 20, 1943 um'rso STATES PRESSURE CARBURETOR Carl F. Schorn, Detroit, Mich., assignor to George M. Holley and Earl Holley 4 Claims.

The object of this invention is to regulate the fuel supply by means responsive to the manifold pressure and to the number of revolutions per minute developed by an internal combustion engine of the type in which an explosive mixture iscontrolled by a throttle and in which the charge is ignited by a spark plug.

There is a well known relation between the product of manifold pressure, or rather mixture density, and revolutions per minute developed by such an engine and the amount of air taken in by the engine. The weight of air taken in by each revolution of the engine is proportional to the density of the air in the inlet manifold, but as the speed of the engine increases, this density of the air in the inlet manifold is not a true criterion of the weight of the air in the cylinder because of the throttling effect of the inlet valve. Therefore, thedensity of the air in the inlet manifold must be modified by the number of revolutions per minute of the engine in order that the regulation of fuel may be such as to maintain the desired mixture ratio under the given conditions. The density of the air in the inlet manifold is measured by the absolute pressure of the air as compared with a vacuum as the relative pressure of the air in the inlet manifold is compared with the pressure of the outside air would be misleading. Therefore, a barometric device has to be incorporated in order that the absolute pressure of the air in the inlet manifold may be utilized as a factor in controlling the flow of fuel.

In the drawing, the figure shows. diagrammatically the application of my invention to a fuel metering system for an airplane engine.

In the figure, oil pressure responsive to the revolutions per minute of the engine is obtained by means of a pump 69 driven at engine speed, or at some speed proportional thereto. This pump 59 obtains its supply of oil from a passage I0. Some of this oil is delivered through the entrance I'I to the mixture regulating device about to be described. The remainder of the oil returns through a passage II to an oil supply chamber iii. The pressure generated by the oil pump 89 is determined by the size of the restricted bypass 5.2, by a variable by-pass I00, the effective area of which is determined by the movable needle valve WI and by the oll which returns to I3 through a restricted passage 19 or through a restricted passage 80, both I9 and 80 being located in a valve IS (the mixture control valve) through the center of which is an oil passage I8.

The movable needle valve IOI responds to engine speed because it is moved by governor weights I02 and I03 Which, by means of links I04 and I05, engage with the slotted shoulder I06 on the needle valve IOI. A drive shaft I01 is driven by a speed proportional to the engine speed and may well be driven on the same shaft as that which drives the oil pump 69. A bearing I08 is provided mounted on the mixture control box. A spring I09 connects the two weights I03 and I02 together. The assembly I02--I09 constitutes an ordinary centrifugal governor having a spring counteracting a pair of weighted arms and of course, corresponds to the ordinary centrifugal governor which is found on all automobiles in the controlof the'ignition timing system.

The restriction IOI is connected by the passage IIO with the outlet from the oil pump 69 and the passage I I I is the return passage for the .oil which passes through the restriction I00 and thus reaches the passage H2 which communicates with the chamber I3 which is the supply chamber for the oil pump 69.

, In order that viscosity shall not be a factor, an oil heating coil 'II connected with the electric circuit 18 is provided and a thermostatically controlled switch it insures that the oil shall not fall below a certain temperature, as in that event the thermostat I6 closes the circuit and makes the electric circuit deliver electricity to flow through the heating coil 11 and thereby raise the temperature of the oil in the chamber i3 to the desired minimum temperature. This temperature is high enough so that'any decrease in viscosity due to an increase in temperature above the temperature determined by the thermostat It will not materially change the mixture ratio.

The oil pressure which is determined by the pump 69 as modified by the centrifugal governor i02i09 is delivered from the passage [1 through the oil passages I8 and I9 to an oil chamber IS. in the position in which the mixture control valve is shown a small portion of the oil escapes, through the small passage I9 to the return pas- This 011' chamber which is bounded on its right hand by the diaphragm I3 is connected to a bell crank lever l4 which controls the valve [5 which admits gasoline from the fuel entrance III. A fuel venturi ll acts as the entrance to a chamber [2 located on the right hand of the diaphragm I3. In order that the diaphragm 13 should not move without any load a spring 2| is provided which pushes up on the valve l 5 and thereby r0- tates or tends to rotate the bell crank lever I4 to the left or anti-clockwise. With this arrangement, assuming gasoline under pressure in the fuel entrance I0 passing through the venturi II, a pressure will be established in the chamber l2 which when assisted by the spring pressure 2| just balances the pressure in the chamber l6 generated by the oil pump 69, which oil pressure is modified by the centrifugal governor I02--| 89. Therefore, the pressure in the chamber I2 responds directly to the revolutions per minute at low engine speed, but is modified a second,time I rate then directly to the revolutions perminute of the engine.

Under the fuel pressure determined by the oil pressure in chamber IS, the fuel in the chamber l2 flows past the metering needle 22 into the chamber 26. The metering needle 22 is connected to a flexible diaphragm 23 mounted on the wall 24 which makes the right hand wall of the chamber 26, 25 being the left hand wall. The passage 21 connects the chamber 26 with the chamber 29, there being an intervening chamber 28 containing a barometric device 30 connected to the needle valve 22 through the shaft 3|, which shaft is connected to the diaphragms 32 and 23. Balancing springs 33, 34 engage with the barometric element 36. The barometric element 38 is made of metal walls and is evacuated. The chamber 28 communicates through the pipe 35 to the supercharger 36. The pressure in the supercharger is controlled by a. throttle 3'! located in the air entrance 38 of the engine. Hence as the throttle 31 is opened and closed, the pressure in the chamber 28 varies and as it varies the barometric element 30 expands and contracts. Hence the needle 22 moves back and forth regulating the flow of fuel out of the chamber l2-into the chamber 26 and hence into the passage 21 and into the chamber 29. The valve 22 is contoured to give the desired mixture ratio ateach air density.

The chamber 29 is bounded on the left by the wall 39 in which is located the diaphragm 32 and on the rightby the flexible diaphragm 48 which is connected through link 4| with the bell crank lever 42 which raises and lowers the valve 43 which allows fuel to flow out-of the chamber 29 into the passage 44 which discharges into the center of the rotating element 45 of the supercharger 36. f

Located to the immediate right of the flexible diaphragm 48 is a chamber 46. This chamber is in communication with the atmosphere through the passage 41. The passage 41 should be at the same pressure as the air entrance 38 and for that-reason a piezometer ring 48 having numerous small openings into the air entrance 38 is provided and this piezometer ring is connected through the pipe 41 with the upper part of the chamber 46. A spring 50 is provided which pushes to the left on the diaphragm 40 and is supported by the wall 5l.

Inside the wall 4| there is a fuel passage 52 which has an inlet 53 out ofa chamber 54, which inlet 53 is controlled by the needle'valve The dia- 55 supported on the diaphragm 56. phragm 56 forms the left hand wall of the chamber 51 which communicates through the pipe 58 which the throat of the venturi I. The passage 59 communicates from the fuel entrance I0 to the chamber 54. The elements 50-58 are no part of this invention and merely constitute a well known enriching device in use in airplane carburetors today.

When the flow through the venturi I l reaches a critical state, then the diaphragm 56 moves to the right compressing a spring 6!] and moving the needle 55 to the right, admitting fuel to the passage 53 whence it flows down the passage 52 and merges with the fuel' flowing through the passage 21 and both streams of fuel descend through the passage 44 to the center of the supercharger element 45. This is, of course, no part of the invention and is merely shown to make a complete picture. The essential elements of my invention comprise the chamber 28 containing the barometric element 30 which controls an orifice 22 which admits fuel from the chamber l2, the pressure in which is controlled by the speed of the engine. The pressure in chamber I2 equals the pressure in chamber 29 which is in equilibrium with the chamber 46 which-is at atmospheric pressure and contains the spring 50. The contribution I have made is the recognition that the speed of the engine alone, is not sufficient and that the density of the air alone is not'suflicient, but. the speed of the engine must enter into the regulation of the fuel twice. Obviously the faster the engine goes, assuming a constant amount of fuel per revolution, the more fuel you need, but you do not require a constant amount of fuel per revolutionbecause at maximum speed, there is a certain drop of pressure of the air as it flows into the inlet valve into the engine and therefore, as the speed becomes greater the governor elements 182-409 become effective, the needle valve lfll rises, the pressure in the chamber l6 falls, and you do not get, as you otherwise would, an excessive amount of fuel and this corrects for the throttling effect of the air entering the inlet valve of the engine.

The necessary increment of richness whichis required at high fuel flows is controlled by the usual means shown from 50 to 60. Correction for either the throttle position 31 or by the change of air density is provided in the barometric element 30 which corrects both for altitude and for load. In other words, low pressure in the chamber 28 may be due to a closed throttle position or it may be due to a high altitude.

In any event the needle 22 assumes the position determined by the pressure in the chamber 36 and fuel flows past 22 under the pressure determined by the pump 69 and governor NZ-I09. The pressure in chambers 26 and 29 varies with the atmospheric pressure only, so that the mixture ratio is independent of altitude and load and is only varied when the quantity of fuel flowing through the venturi H is great enough to overcome the pressure of the spring 60. This gives a fiat characteristic to the curve showing mixture ratios at various air flows. J

The means for getting the necessary fuel for idle and immediately off idle are not shown as this would complicate the disclosure unduly. Obviously special means are provided for giving the necessary fuel to idle and to transfer from idle to cruising lean.

In the event that the supercharger is omitted, the carburetor will respond to the pressure below the throttle. In other words, the device always responds to manifold pressure. The pump 69 is driven by the bevel gear i2! with which meshes the bevel gear I28 driven by the shaft 28 from the engine. The shaft l28'drives the pulley 42-? which drives the belt I29 which drives the pulley I25 mounted on a shaft 125. The shaft 125 carrles the pulley I26 which drives the belt 123 which drives the pulley I22 mounted on the shaft it? of the governor. By this means the engine which drives the shaft H8 alsodrives the pump es and the governor 5E2, ass, Hit, 595, m6 and This application is a continuation in part of my co-pen'ding application Serial No. 390,520, filed 'dpril' 26, 1941, entitled Torque controlled carburetor, now Patent No. 2,297,918.

I claim is:

1 ii pressure carburetor for an inmrnai com- 'bi'lSlZlOl'l engine, said carburetor having an air entrance, 6. throttle valve therein, a source of fuel under pressure, an entrance for said fuel. on engine-driven pinup which generates pressure in proportion to the square of the revolutions per minute of the engine, a moving wall responsive on one side to said variable pressure, means for admitting fuel to the other side of the moving wall, means for controlling the fuel pressure to balance the pressure generated by the pump, a fuel chamber associated with said moving wall in which the fuel pressure is maintained at the pressure of said pump, a valve controlling the outlet from said chamber, an air outlet from said carburetor, and means responsive to the pressure in said outlet for opening said valve in proportion to an increase in the pressure in said outlet.

2. A pressure carburetor for an internal combustion engine, said carburetor having a source of fuel under pressure, an air entrance to the carburetor, an engine-driven pump which generates pressure in proportion to the square of the revolutions per minute of the engine, a moving wall responsive on one side to said variable pres-- sure, means for admitting fuel to the other side of the moving wall, means for controlling the that of the engine, a'by-pass to relieve the pressure generated by said pump, a valve therein, said valve being controlled by. said governor.

4. A device as set forth in claim 2 in which there is a centrifugal governor, means for driving said governor at a speed proportional to that of the engine, a by-pass to relieve thepressure generated by said pump, a valve therein, said valve being controlled by said governor.

CARL F. SCHORN.

mscLAlMER 2,324,599.Oarl F. Schorn, Detroit, Mich. PRESSURE CARBURETOR. Patent dated Ju.y 20, 1943. Disclaimer filed Sept. 7 1945, by the inventor; the .assignees, George M. Holley and Earl Holley, consenting. Hereb enters this disclaimer t6 claims 1 and 2 of said petent.

, z'al Gazette October 9, 1945.} 

